Sparkle (KOTLC) {Completed}

35

The next day, much earlier than had been expected, Janessa got a hail from Edaline. 

"Janessa! Mr Forkle just came by, The Neverseen changed the plans with Wylie. You have to go to Nightfall now! The others will meet you there!"

Janessa nodded, ending the call. As she left the apartment, she tiptoed past Amy's room, hoping the young human wouldn't notice her. Thankfully, at least that went right.

Janessa, despite being the only one already in Atlantis, arrived after the Vackers. Within a minute, Sophie, Keefe, Dex, and Marella arrived, including Kessler Dizznee and the bodyguards.

"I'm a slight amendment to the plan," Kesler explained, "to clear the crowd out of the courtyard, since we're having to do this during a busy time."

His satchel made clinking noises. "Stink bombs?" Keefe guessed.

"Some of my finest."

Soon after, the twins showed up, being the only ones wearing the Neverseen uniforms as everyone else had rushed too much. They even brought some for the rest of the group; Janessa scowled distastefully as she put hers on.

"Does anyone else think it's a bad sign that the Neverseen are rushing us?" Marella asked. "Or are we all going to pretend we're not freaking out?"

"You get used to it." Janessa mumbled.

"I'm not freaking out," Grady promised. "Let them think they're calling the shots. Nothing's going to stop us from getting Sophie's parents back today."

"Grizel and I will go first, to scout for guards," Sandor said. "We'll use our senses to find a path to where Sophie's parents are being kept."

A strange, melodic music that seemed to calm Janessa's nerves wove through the air.

"That's one of my mom's compositions." Linh whispered.

"I think that's also my cue." Kessler said, hugging Dex tightly and nodding goodbye to Janessa, who in other circumstances would've wondered why she was the only other one given a goodbye.

Kessler walked a little ways away and poured out a few of his vials, the stench of which made Janessa cough. As the herds of people stampeded away, the group made their way to the centre of the courtyard, in front of the Unity Fountain. As soon as the crowds had gone, Linh parted the water of the fountain, a strange smile that was disconcertingly familiar to Janessa spreading across her face. It looked just like the way she felt when she called down Everblaze.

"The last time she got that look, she flooded the city" Tam warned.

"I can resist it." 

Janessa nodded, smiling proudly at Linh, as Dex ran into the fountain and began working on the door. It wasn't long before it opened, and the bodyguards, goblin and ogre, ran into the dark hall of silver and gold. 

It felt like ages that they waited at the entrance, before they too entered the facility, which seemed more palace than prison, but Janessa knew better than to underestimate the place.

"This is too easy." Marella commented as they walked down the stairs.

Janessa tensed up at the words. "Don't say that."

A few moments later, Ro whispered, "I should double back, to make sure they're not planning to ambush us from behind."

Sandor went with her, but when they caught up again, they had nothing to report.

"And your senses aren't picking up anyone down those corridors?" Grady asked.

The goblins shook their heads. "All I'm getting is dust and ash." Ro replied.

"So wait..." Tam pursed his lips uncomfortably. "If no one's sensing anything . . . does that mean Sophie's parents aren't here?"

As Sophie sagged against the wall, Janessa shook her head. "No way. Too much led to here, and even the Neverseen didn't have enough time to fake those journals."

"Need me to calm the panic?" Keefe said, reaching for Sophie's gloved hand.

Sophie shook her head. "No, it's fine. We should save our energy."

"Or put it to better use," Biana told her. "Can't you track their thoughts like we did in the other Nightfall?" Janessa grinned at her best friend. Biana was really much smarter than anyone gave her credit for.

"Need a boost?" Fitz offered. The look on his face as Sophie said she actually needed Tam was, as Keefe said, priceless, though Janessa did her best not to react out loud.

Sophie closed her eyes, and within a minute, she had found something. Not a person exactly, but a flicker of warmth that probably, hopefully, was a person.

The bodyguards tried to go ahead, but no one would make Sophie wait to see her parents again. No one said anything as they walked at first, until Marella commented, "Does it seem like it's getting hotter?"

Janessa had noticed more heat gathering around herself, but she hadn't been sure whether she was just stressed and her pyrokinesis was acting up. Apparently not.

They finally reached a door, and as Grizel opened it, Janessa felt her breath catch. Connor and Kate—or rather, Emma and William as they were once called—were chained to the ground, bruised and burned and swollen. Janessa felt sick. Fintan had done this.

It was too late when Janessa noticed the yellow slitted eyes watching them. The creature crawled towards them with its lionlike body and massive wings. 

"What is that?!" Janessa yelled, gathering flames in front of her.

"One of Lady Gisela's gorgodons!" Sophie replied.

"Can't they only be killed with Everblaze? I would've brought some with me!"

"We thought they were all dead!"

Before they could continue yelling at each other, Dex grabbed Janessa's hand reassuringly, looking her dead in the eyes with a serious expression. Janessa nodded. "I'll do my best to make some Everblaze, but I don't know if it's possible without sunlight!"

Thankfully, the gorgodon was on the other side of the forcefield between them and Sophie's parents.

"So how do we get there without becoming a gorgodon snack?" Keefe asked.

Dex looked at Biana and Tam. "Think either of you guys can sneak past?"

"But, uh, there's a bigger problem," Tam said. "I can only take down the whole force field—and none of us can rebuild it. So once I do, there'll be nothing to stop the gorgodon from coming after us—unless Marella and Janessa think they can cage it in."

Janessa frowned. "I thought they could only be killed by Everblaze?"

"No, they were born in Everblaze, but they're not fireproof."

Janessa nodded. "I can hold a flame barrier as long as I don't get incapacitated or anything, but we'd need to bring the barrier down first so I can feel the heat on that side of it.."

"We don't even know how long you'll have to hold it though." Marella argued. "I know this is gonna sound bad, but we need to burn it. It's just... if we don't kill it, it will kill us, and we can't exactly leave Janessa down here to hold the flames while the rest of us escape."

The bodyguards then considered attacking it head-on, which was quickly proven to be a very bad idea.

"No one's going for anything," Sophie said. "Not until we come up with a plan that won't get anyone killed."

A voice echoed around the room and Janessa felt her insides clench. "The answer you seek does not exist."

"Vespera."